1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an oven of the type which is inserted into a cabinet cavity and in particular to a support base for such an oven.
2. Description of the Related Art
Ovens which are designed to be installed into a cavity provided in a kitchen cabinet arrangement are well known. Ovens installed in this manner are commonly referred to as "built-in" ovens. Built-in ovens provide several benefits over free standing ovens. Many consumers find that built-in ovens provide an aesthetically pleasing appearance and can be attractively combined with kitchen cabinetry. Additionally, built-in ovens may be located in a cabinet cavity at a relatively high position (as compared to free standing ovens) such that accessibility to the oven interior is improved.
Unfortunately, along with the benefits there are some problems associated with built-in ovens. In particular, the installation of a built-in oven may be complicated by the need to have a correctly sized cabinet cavity to receive the oven. This problem is exacerbated by the fact the there currently exists no standardized size for built-in ovens. Cabinet oven cavities are typically fabricated to a particular size based on the particular requirements of the built-in oven model which is to be originally installed into the cabinet cavity. Subsequently, when attempting to replace the original built-in oven, a consumer may be constrained by the cabinet cavity size.
This problem affects both the oven manufacturer and the consumer. The consumer is limited in selecting a replacement oven which matches the cabinet cavity size. The manufacturer may be likewise limited in marketing and selling replacement built-in ovens based on the size of the manufacturer's built-in ovens.
Accordingly, it would be an improvement in the art to provide a means for installing a built-in oven into at least two different sized cabinet cavity openings. Specifically, it would be an improvement in the art to provide a base for built-in ovens wherein the base functions as a spacer such that the oven may be installed into a cabinet cavity having a predetermined vertical dimension substantially greater than the height of the built-in oven.